Because I Knew You
by shannigansx
Summary: A series of LukeRory fatherdaughter moments. Chap. 3: Rory brings Marty to Stars Hollow. LL. RM.
1. Scraped Knees and BandAids

**Scraped Knees and Band-Aids**

_Author's Note: This is part of my new Luke/Rory father/daughter series "Because I Knew You". Some parts will fit in with the actual episodes, others will be AU. For the most part, each chapter will be stand alone._

_I want to thank my amazing beta xphilehb not only for looking this over but for constantly encouraging me to write._

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Luke stood wiping down the counter. The lunch rush was long over. It had actually been a rather slow day, and he felt his attention wander to the children playing outside. The young Kim girl was playing some game or another with a little girl that Luke had never seen before. The two girls were laughing over something, and Luke couldn't help but smile himself.

As children go, Lane Kim was one of the few that Luke didn't mind hanging around. She'd always try to sneak into the diner when her mother wasn't looking, and she would then proceed to beg him for any form of junk food that was readily available. Usually, she would get what she wanted. Luke couldn't say no to that little ball of energy, especially after she would tell him the new health food of the week her mother had bought in bulk. Even Luke, a healthy eater himself, thought her mother was a little excessive, and he would sneak Lane a doughnut or a brownie across the counter. She would probably be coming in soon looking for a quick sugar rush.

Anticipating her arrival, he took out two brownies – one for Lane and one for her friend – and added sprinkles. While preparing the treat for the girls, he almost missed seeing the one girl trip and fall to the ground. Luke didn't hesitate for even a moment. He raced outside of the diner to where a worried Lane was hunched over her friend.

"Is she okay?" Luke asked as he knelt down by the crying girl.

"Luke!" Lane exclaimed. "We were just playing, and she fell."

Luke nodded. "I saw." Lane's friend had pulled her knee to her chest and held it clasped between her two small hands. He gently pulled her hands away to reveal her scraped knee. "Hey," Luke said softly, pulling the girl's attention away from her injury. "You're going to be fine. Nothing a Band-Aid won't fix."

The child wiped her teary eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." Luke assured her. "Is it okay if I fix it up for you?" The girl nodded in response. "What's your name?" he asked as he scooped her up into his arms to carry her into the diner.

"Rory," she told him.

"And where are your parents, Rory?" he questioned, entering the diner.

She suddenly looked panicked. "Mom's at Doose's. Lane and I were supposed to be good while she bought things for our movie night. She's going to be mad at me."

He placed her on one of the stools. "Why? Because you fell?"

Rory nodded. "I promised that I would behave."

"She's not going to be mad because you fell. It was an accident," Luke stated.

Lane nodded in agreement, taking a seat next to her friend. "You're confusing your mom with my mom. Your mom will buy you a Barbie Band-Aid."

Rory laughed.

Luke smiled, glad to see Rory laughing despite her scraped knee. "I don't have any Barbie Band-Aids, but I can put a plain one on it until your mom can replace it with Barbie." He grabbed his first aid kit from behind the counter.

"Okay. Thanks Mister..."

"Luke. You can call me Luke," he told her. He held up a cloth that he had put some antiseptic on. "This is going to sting a little, but it will keep this little scrape from becoming infected. Can you be strong for me?"

She nodded in resolution. "I can be very strong." She winced as the damp cloth made contact with her knee, but she kept still as Luke cleaned out her wound. "I did it," she announced as he placed the Band-Aid on her scrape.

"Yes, you did," Luke said smiling at her. He handed her a napkin to wipe away the rest of her tears. "Now how about a little treat?"

The girl's face lit up. "Really?"

"I have two brownies sitting over there that I believe have yours and Lane's names on them," he said, already heading towards the two plates he had prepared earlier. He placed one in front of each girl.

"Thanks, Luke," the girls said in unison.

Luke smiled. "Just don't tell your mother," he directed at Lane.

"Are you kidding me? She'd never let me in here again." Lane took a bite of her brownie. "And she just bought about twenty pounds of tofu."

Rory made a face. "That's gross." She took a bite out of her brownie. "This is really good, Luke. Mom would love these." Her eyes widened. "Mom! She won't know we're in here." She moved to hop off her stool.

Luke stopped her. "I think she knows." Luke pointed outside where a young woman was busy talking to Miss Patty. Miss Patty was pointing towards the diner, no doubt telling Rory's mother what had transpired. "That's your mother, right?"

"Yes," Rory confirmed.

Luke pulled out another brownie and placed it on a plate. "Do you think your mother would like a brownie?"

Rory nodded enthusiastically. "She loves chocolate!" Rory announced just as her mother rushed into the diner.

"Rory! Love of my life! Are you okay?" she asked, dropping her bags from Doose's and hugging her daughter close before examining the injury.

"Luke helped me," Rory told her mother, pointing her finger at the flannel-clad man behind the counter. "He gave us brownies, and he has one for you."

Lorelai looked at Luke and smiled. "Thank you, Luke."

He gave her a nod. "Brownie?" he offered.

"Add in some coffee, and you've got yourself a new customer," she responded.

He grabbed a mug, filled it with the dark liquid, and placed it in front of her. She downed it in one gulp. "Take it easy," Luke warned.

"You are talking to Lorelai Gilmore, coffee lover extraordinaire." She held up her mug. "Can I have some more of your fabulous coffee?"

"This stuff will kill you," he insisted, but he poured her a cup anyway.

She just shrugged and took a sip before turning to the girls. "You two ready for our sleepover? We've got plenty of junk food and movies."

"Can we watch Willy Wonka?" Lane inquired.

"What is movie night without Willy Wonka at the helm?" Lorelai replied.

"Mom just wants to see the Oompa Loompas so she can swoon over them," Rory said.

"Hush you," Lorelai shushed. She gave Luke a smile. "I just think they're kind of cute."

"Yeah, that's it," Rory stated sarcastically. "And that love song you wrote them was just a stage?"

"I think it's time for us to go," Lorelai announced, ushering the girls towards the door. She turned to Luke. "How much do I owe you?"

"Don't worry about it. First time's on the house as long as you come back again," Luke told her.

Lorelai flashed him one of her brilliant smiles. "You can count on that. I wasn't kidding when I called your coffee fabulous." She gave him a small wave. "Thanks, Luke. For everything."

Luke watched the girls exit the diner. He started to clear away their plates when he heard the bell above the diner door jingle. He looked up just in time to see Rory rushing across the diner before she wrapped her arms around his waist. Her action caught him off guard. When he finally came to his senses, he patted her awkwardly on her back.

Rory looked up at him and grinned. "My knee feels a lot better."

"That's good."

"Mom says we can come back tomorrow," she informed him.

"I'll be looking forward to it." He leaned down so he was eye-level with her. "Do you like chocolate chip pancakes?"

"I love them!"

"How about I make you some tomorrow for breakfast?"

She gave him the same brilliant smile her mother had given him earlier and nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, Luke!"

"Bye, Rory," he said, watching her run back out the diner door. As it turned out, Lane Kim wasn't the only child Luke didn't mind having around.

_Fin._

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	2. A Fond Farewell to a Friend

**A Fond Farewell to a Friend  
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_Author's note: Thanks for all of your reviews on the first part. I hope that you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! And I want to give a huge thanks to my lovely beta xphilehb. _

_ And a reminder that all chapters of this fic are stand alone. _

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Luke was in the middle of the lunch rush when he saw Rory enter the diner. He quickly distributed the plates he was carrying to their rightful places before turning his attention to the child. She was sitting patiently at the counter, wearing a pair of feathered angel's wings.

He wasn't surprised to see her come in without her mother. Rory would often come in while she waited for her mother to finish whatever it was she happened to be doing. She would sit at the counter quietly, patiently awaiting her mother's arrival. He couldn't say the same thing about the child's mother. If the situation was reversed, and Lorelai was the one waiting, patient was definitely not a word he would use to describe her. She would constantly try to distract him from his work, attempting to make him her playmate until her daughter walked through the doors.

Walking up to Rory, he asked her if she wanted anything while she waited for Lorelai.

Rory shook her head. "No thanks, Luke."

Despite her response, Luke placed a doughnut on a plate and put it in front of Rory. "I've never seen you turn one of those down before."

Rory took a small bite and smiled at him. She watched as he cleared off some tables and delivered more plates. She had completely polished off her snack when Luke returned to her, setting a glass of milk down in front of her. "Thanks, Luke," she said, taking a sip.

He gave her a smile and turned to go to the kitchen to finish up more orders.

"Hey, Luke?" Rory called after him.

He turned back to face her. "What can I get you?" he asked kindly.

"I actually had something to ask you," she told him.

"This sounds serious," he noted, walking around to the other side of the counter and taking a seat beside her. "What is it?"

"My pet caterpillar died."

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said sincerely.

"Well, he wasn't really my pet, but I would come outside to talk to him everyday," she clarified.

"So he was more than a pet. He was your friend," Luke stated.

Rory's bright blue eyes gazed up at him, and she smiled. "And he was a good friend."

"I bet he was."

"Mom's helping me put together a little funeral for him. Will you come?" Rory asked, looking at him with hopeful eyes.

"I wouldn't miss it."

"It's going to be in our backyard today at four o'clock," she informed him.

"I'll be there."

Hopping off her stool, she said, "I'll see you later, Luke."

"Bye, Rory."

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Luke arrived at the Gilmores' a little before four. He found Lorelai already outside, struggling to dig a hole with a shovel. He placed the few items he brought with him on her back porch before making his way over to Lorelai. "Hey," he greeted her, taking the shovel from her hands. If there was one thing the Gilmore girls weren't good at, it was manual labor.

"The shovel appears to be winning this battle," she joked.

"I got it," he assured her, pushing the shovel easily into the ground.

"You make it look so easy," she observed. "Why, Rory and I need a strong man like you around the house," she cooed with a southern bell accent. "You are just so manly. Show me some of your manly wiles."

"Will you cut it out?" he warned, threatening to throw the shovel down.

She put her hands on his shoulders and batted her eyes. "But Rory is counting on this."

"You're pulling the Rory card."

"It was either that or the pout. They both seem to get the job done. And this actually is for Rory," she reminded him.

Rory came out of the house, munching on the last of her peanut butter sandwich. "Luke!" she called. "I'm glad you could make it."

"I told you I would be here." He pointed to the items he had left on the porch. "I made a little box for the caterpillar, and I brought some cookies. I thought we could have a little reception afterwards."

A huge grin spread across Rory's face. She raced off the porch towards Luke and wrapped her arms around him. "Thanks, Luke."

At first he was taken aback, but then he pulled her into his embrace and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "A good friend like him deserves a decent farewell," Luke stated.

"I'm going to put him in his box," she notified her mom and Luke.

Lorelai watched as her daughter gently scooped the caterpillar into his coffin. "You didn't have to do that."

Luke shrugged. "It was no big deal."

"You always do that."

"Do what?"

"Act like what you do is no big deal. Well, it is, Luke." She motioned towards her daughter. "You just made a young girl's day by making a coffin for her caterpillar. Not very many people would do that."

"I wanted to," he stated simply.

Many Stars Hollow residents attended the funeral. They paid their respects to Rory's friend and listened to the child give him a loving eulogy. Afterwards, Lane and Rory passed out the cookies Luke had made.

Luke stayed long after the funeral ended, listening to Rory tell him stories about her former friend. Then, he helped her make a little tombstone to mark the caterpillar's resting place.

While Rory finished decorating the caterpillar's grave, Lorelai came over to stand beside Luke. She slipped her arm through his. "She really likes you," Lorelai told him, glancing up at him. When her eyes met his, she gave him a smile.

"She's a good kid," he replied.

Rory bounced back over to the two adults. "Mom, can Luke stay for dinner?"

"It's fine by me," Lorelai consented. "But you might want to inform him that dinner will consist of stale Pop-Tarts."

Luke kneeled down towards Rory. "How about I make you girls dinner?"

Rory looked up at her mother. "Is that okay, Mom?"

Lorelai nodded. "I never say 'no' to food."

"Or coffee," Luke added. He looped his arm through Rory's. "Now, what should we have?"

Lorelai watched on as Rory listed off suggestions for dinner as she and Luke walked up the stairs to the porch. Normally, Lorelai would freak out at the prospect of Rory becoming attached to a man, but something told her that Luke was someone she could count on.

He wasn't going anywhere. If Lorelai wasn't mistaken, he was becoming rather attached himself.

_Fin. _

_Please review! I love reviews! More to come soon. _


	3. Marty in Stars Hollow

_**Marty in Stars Hollow**_

_Author's Note: I wrote this as a birthday present for my wonderful friend xphilehb. I also want to thank my amazing betas Danielle and ciachick711._

_This takes place mid Season 5 and is a bit AU._

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"Luke!" Lorelai announced her presence as she walked into the diner. "I need coffee!"

Luke emerged from the kitchen. "When don't you need coffee?" he asked, already in the process of pouring her a cup. "And how many times have I told you not to scream like a banshee the moment you enter the diner?"

"I'm going to ignore the Darby O'Gill reference you just made," she said, taking a sip of her coffee."

"Darby who?"

"You know the movie? The banshee comes out at night?" He still looked confused. She tried one more, "Sean Connery all young and hot singing to Janet Munro?"

"Oh, that movie," he stated sarcastically.

She looked at him hopefully. "So you know it?"

"No," he answered.

"Seriously, you have got to see more movies. I am adding this to our list of movies I must make you watch," she informed him. "Prepare yourself for dancing leprechauns, buddy."

"Goodie." Grabbing a rag, he began to wipe down the counter as Lorelai sat quietly sipping her coffee. He glanced out the window and caught sight of Rory and some boy he had never seen. "Hey, who's that boy with Rory? I've seen him around here all day."

Lorelai turned around and looked out the window. "Oh, that's just Naked Guy," she told him calmly.

"Naked Guy!" Luke exploded. "You let her hang out with a guy who likes to be naked, and you're just sitting here looking at me like I'm insane."

Lorelai laughed. "Hon, you've got to calm down. It's just a nickname he received from a minor incident the first day of college. Don't worry, he's not usually naked."

He continued to eye the boy through the window. "You sure?"

"Positive. I'm probably the only one who still calls him Naked Guy. Though Rory gave me a whole lecture earlier on why I must stop."

Luke leaned against the counter. "So what's his story then?"

"Why?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "You interested?" That only earned her an annoyed look. "His name's Marty, and he lives in the same building at Yale as Rory."

"Are they..."

"Dating?" she finished for him. "No, they're just friends. But I think Rory really likes him."

"How well do you know him?"

"I've only met him a few times, but he seems like a nice kid."

"So we like him then?" Luke questioned.

"Yes, we like him."

Luke nodded his head slowly, still not completely convinced. "Is he good enough for her?"

"Rory likes him, and by the looks of it, he likes her too. That makes him good enough," Lorelai assured him. "Rory has a good judgment of character, you know that."

"But Dean..."

"Was her first love. And he was a good kid. It just got all complicated. Yes, she made a mistake, but she's learned from that mistake. Marty's the first guy that she's gotten all doe-eyed over in a long time." She tugged on his sleeve. "And you, mister, must behave yourself. Rory cares about what you think."

"I know," Luke replied, remembering how upset Rory had become after the Bop-It incident with Dean.

Lorelai grabbed her purse and stood to leave. "I have to get back to work. When they come in here for dinner, you have to try to be nice to him."

"I will," Luke promised, leaning over the counter to kiss her. "We like him?" he asked one more time.

"We do."

Luke watched her leave. He saw her stop briefly across the square and exchange a few words with Rory and Marty. After Lorelai walked away, he continued to watch the pair.

He had always felt protective towards Rory. Ever since she walked through the diner doors over eight years ago, smiling up at him with those innocent blue eyes, he knew that he would do anything to keep her safe. He didn't do the things he did for Rory because of his feelings for her mother. No, it was more than that. She was the closest thing he had to a daughter, and he loved her like one. He always would.

When Rory first began to date Dean, he had remained calm. Calmer than Lorelai. But the moment he broke Rory's heart the first time, he felt the urge to strangle the little punk for hurting her.

He saw the two walking towards the diner. Rory was laughing about something, and Marty looked flushed. Rory looked so happy. Luke took a deep breath. More than anything, Luke wanted her to be happy, and if Marty made her happy, then he could be nice to the kid.

"Hey Luke," Rory greeted as she entered. "This is Marty." She turned to Marty. "Marty, Luke."

"Hey," Marty gave him a halfhearted nod as he and Rory sat down at a table.

"What happened to him?" Luke asked, carrying over two cups of coffee.

"Miss Patty pinched his butt," Rory informed Luke which caused Marty to turn a deeper shade of red.

"She has quite a grip on her," Marty commented.

"Word of advice?" Luke offered. "Never turn your back to Miss Patty. It's too tempting for her."

"Miss Patty's gotten a hold of Luke's butt many times," Rory added.

"Thanks for the reminder," Luke stated. "What can I get for you two?"

"Two burgers and chili fries," Rory responded.

Luke went into the kitchen to make their burgers. When he returned, he noted that Marty seemed to be regaining normal coloring. The two were deep in conversation when he dropped their meals off.

Rory looked up at him. "Do you have time to join us?" she asked hopefully.

The diner was completely empty save for Rory and Marty. Luke nodded. "Let me just make myself a sandwich."

She smiled. "Good."

He came back a few minutes later carrying a turkey sandwich. He took a seat at their table and started to quietly eat his sandwich.

Marty was the one who broke the silence. "This is one strange town," Marty commented.

"Tell me about it," Luke grumbled.

"I thought Rory was exaggerating," Marty began.

"But then he met Kirk," Rory supplied.

"What was he up to this time?" Luke inquired.

"He was caught upside down in a tree," Marty told Luke.

"How did he manage that?"

Marty continued, "Something about being chased up there by a dog while he was delivering the mail."

"But how did he get upside down?"

"It's Kirk," Rory stated.

Luke chuckled. "No explanation needed other than that."

"Other than the thing with Miss Patty, I like this town," Marty declared. "You don't meet people like that everywhere. It's like watching a movie. Except not, because you're a part of it."

"Once you get passed the escape mental patients, it's not too bad," Luke agreed. "So, Marty," he began. Rory gave him a nervous look. "What are you studying?" He heard Rory breathe a sigh of relief. Luke was determined not to upset her.

"A little of this, a little of that. I really like English though."

"What do you plan on doing after you graduate?" Luke asked, hoping to get a feel of this guy without overstepping any boundaries.

"I'm not sure yet, but I think that I may want to teach."

"Teach?"

"It would be great to have a hand in shaping the minds of youth. I think it would be really fulfilling. And I'd love to teach abroad. Possibly helping to teach the children of an impoverished country so they can have a chance at a real future."

Luke was surprised to hear Marty's aspirations. He hadn't expected that. He could picture Rory as a foreign correspondent and Marty teaching in the same country as her. She wouldn't be off somewhere all alone. "Those are some big plans you've got there. Good for you." Rory gave Luke an admiring look which made him smile.

"You should see him, Luke. Kids really like him," Rory informed.

"If by like, you mean using me as a jungle gym, then yes, they like me," Marty joked.

The three of them continued to talk until their dinners and slices of pie for Rory and Marty had disappeared. After they finished, the two said goodbye to Luke and went off to the Black & White & Read to watch a film.

Luke had to admit that he really liked Marty. Although no one would ever truly be worthy of Rory, he did seem good for her. Luke watched her smiling face throughout the entire meal. And Marty looked at her with a look that Luke recognized all too well. He often used to look at Lorelai like that.

He was surprised to see Rory enter a few hours later. He was in the process of closing the diner, but he stopped to pour her a cup of coffee.

"How was the movie?" he asked, noting her huge grin.

Rory's smile widened. "It was great. They were showing Sabrina. The old one. Not the remake. I love that movie. I can never see it too many times. And Marty's a huge Audrey Hepburn fan. He has fantastic taste in movies. It takes place in Paris. I loved when Mom and I were in Paris. It's so romantic."

She was babbling. Luke knew this meant either she was extremely nervous about something or ecstatic. She was just like her mother. He walked around the counter and took a seat next to her. He touched her hand, causing her to stop chattering on. "It sounds like you had a good evening," he prompted.

"Luke," she started. She bit her lip as if she was unsure of whether or not she should continue. "He kissed me." She blushed, but she couldn't hide the huge grin. She looked down at her hands which were nervously fumbling with her shirt.

"Good."

Her head jerked up in disbelief. "Good?"

Luke nodded. "He's a nice guy. You deserve to be with a guy who will treat you like a queen," he said, remembering the way Marty looked at her like she was the most amazing girl he had ever seen.

"So you like him?"

"I do." To his surprise, Rory leaned over and gave him a hug which he immediately returned.

"Thank you, Luke," she whispered.

"But if he ever hurts you, I'll kill him," he vowed, causing Rory to laugh.

She pulled back, her eyes sparkling at him. "I know." She hopped off her stool. "I've gotta go tell Mom!" She moved to leave but turned back around to face Luke. "Are you coming by later?" she questioned hopefully.

"Of course."

"I thought we could start tackling that list of movies Mom wants you to see."

Luke groaned. "I'm in for some trouble, aren't I?"

"You better believe it," she confirmed before exiting the diner.

Later, as Luke watched yet another movie with a delighted Lorelai and Rory – they were showing him a film that would apparently change his life – he couldn't help but smile. He probably would never admit it to anyone, but these girls were more important to him than anything. And seeing them both so happy meant the world to him.

_Fin._


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